The Ultimate Dance Off
by littlebirdy05
Summary: Rico, ever spontaneous and unpredictable has attracted unknown attention from both Marlene and Kowalski, and when the two become aware of the competition, the feet hit the floor, in the ultimate dance off to win Rico's heart. Definitely humor centered.XD
1. Chapter 1

Kowalski glanced up from his work table, glancing at Private, who had just yelped. "Rico!" He shouted. Rico, with nothing else to do as it

was raining outside, had resorted to pranking Private for half the day. When Private had taken his complaints to Skipper, Skipper had

only told him it would better prepare him for any surprise. At least he had warned Rico about weapons use indoors... Kowalski chuckled,

watching Private struggle to get up from his usual spot in front of the TV. So that's what Rico wanted the glue for... Kowalski grinned,

walking over with a beaker. "Here you are, Private," He said, handing the beaker to him. "It ought to loosen up the glue." Private stopped

struggling, and sighed with relief, taking the beaker. Rico groaned, and Kowalski laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Perhaps you could

find something more productive to do with your time. Come on, I've got some new smoke bombs we can try in the sewers." Kowalski

said, waving around a smoke bomb in his flipper. Rico nodded furiously, already at the sewer's entrance. Kowalski grinned, following.

It was hard to tell when he had first felt this way. It had started as a light twinge, whenever Rico did something unexpected. At first he

was unable to place it, but soon enough, he realized that the twinge in his gut, was some form of happiness, and soon enough, that

twinge had grown. Why shouldn't it, anyway? Rico was spontaneous, unpredictable, and very well satisfied by the simple things in life.

Everything he wasn't. Sometimes he was jealous of him and his psychotic arrays, living like he did, not in total ignorance, but ignorant to

repercussions. Then some days, he was glad he wasn't like him, for who else would be able to get Rico out of trouble if he were? Where

would they be now? So, on these particular days, Kowalski threw out the 'what-if's, and instead focused himself on what he could do,

here and now. He could find the courage to admit the way he felt, perhaps, but in the mean time, he was sure to make Rico happy and

content, until then.


	2. Chapter 2

Kowalski shut the door, just as Marlene jumped down the hatch. "Hey guys!" She said, greeting them as usual. She raised an eyebrow at

the two penguins left, Private rubbing the rest of the glue off his tail feathers, Skipper rummaging around the fridge. Skipper waved,

and Private smiled. "Hey Marlene." He said, greeting her cheerfully. "So," Marlene said, trying to find something to talk about instead of

coming right out with it. "Where's Kowalski and Rico?" She asked. Skipper pulled his head out from the fridge, shutting the door, obviously

finding nothing he wanted. "Down in the sewers, Marlene, testing Kowalski's new smoke bombs." He said. Marlene nodded, not really

listening. "Right, um... So, Skipper..." She mumbled. Skipper inclined his head, a sign he was listening. "Well, you guys seems to have the

day off today, you, ah, want to come over to my habitat? I've just got some new paints, you can give it a try." She said. Skipper

laughed. "Nonsense, Marlene, there's no such thing as the day off, a crisis could happen at any moment! Besides, I don't do painting,

that's Rico's forte. He's a crazy psychopath, but he's got the brushstroke of a renaissance master." He said. Marlene frowned. "Well,

maybe I could come with you on your rounds around the zoo?" She said. "Nope." Skipper shook his head. "I can't afford to bring a

civilian, Marlene, you know that." Marlene crossed her arms. "I'm not just a civilian, Skipper." She said. "Got any commando skills?" "Well

no-" "Ever in the military?" "No, but-" "Good with strategies?" "Skipper-" "Civilian." Skipper said, clearly making his point. Marlene growled

and turned on her heal.

Skipper. She should have known. Marlene felt her anger slowly going down. Very slowly. He was a military animal, too strict. He just

didn't know how to have fun. She needed someone spontaneous, someone not afraid to stray from the rule book every once in a while,

who would listen more than talk, and someone who shared her interests. She needed... she needed... "Rico! Not all at once! Don't-"

There was a loud noise and smoke began seeping through the sewer entrance. Marlene grinned. She needed Rico.


	3. Chapter 3

Kowalski burst through the entrance, coughing and waving his flipper trying to clear the smoke away, Rico laughing beside him. Kowalski

sighed and grinned. Rico. A scientific enigma, you never knew what he'd do next. Kowalski glance up in surprise when he heard Marlene

laugh, and he looked over, realizing Rico and him were completely covered in soot and ash. Skipper raised an eyebrow. "Eh," Kowalski

rubbed the back of his neck. "It, ah, needs more work." He said, grinning. Skipper rolled his eyes. "Take a step outside, the rain should

wash it off." He said. Kowalski nodded, heading for the entrance, Rico following, still grinning. Marlene waited a few moments for them to

get out there, then looked at Skipper. "Well, that's all I guess... I'm gonna go now." Before Skipper could even answer, Marlene was out

the hatch.

"Hi guys." Marlene chirped, upon seeing Kowalski and Rico. "So, _Rico_, Skipper tells me you like to paint." She said smiling. Rico nodded,

grinning, and Kowalski looked up. Marlene continued. "I just got a new paint set over at my habitat, do you want to come over and paint

with me? _I need a good model._" She said, teasingly. Rico grinned and trotted over to her, the two walking off to Marlene's habitat.

Kowalski frowned. What just happened?


	4. Chapter 4

Kowalski sat in his lab, perfecting his smoke bombs on Skipper's orders. Slowly he poured a viscous mixture into one on the casings, then

put the cap back on the casing. Kowalski's head snapped up when Rico and Marlene came back through the entrance, Rico covered in

red paint. Skipper raised an eyebrow. "She pulled the 'black and white and red all over' joke on you, didn't she?" He said. Rico perked up,

hearing the sound of Skipper's voice, as though he had just realized they were back home. Kowalski looked at Rico, who nodded, and

Marlene who was grinning at him. Something clicked. It was well known that Marlene had been after Skipper. If Skipper knew

about the 'black and white and red all over' joke, then it had undoubtedly been pulled on Skipper, in an attempt of hers. Kowalski felt an

unnatural jealousy flare, when he realized the same thing was being pulled on Rico, and he gritted his beak.

Marlene's glance shot away from Rico when another smoke bomb went off, Kowalski coughing and waving. "Much better, Kowalski."

Skipper said, pleased with the results. Kowalski mumbled something unintelligible, and swiftly walked over to Marlene. "Marlene, if you

don't mind, can I speak to you _outside_ for a moment?" He said, grabbing her paw and leading her away before she could even answer.

Private looked up Skipper. "I wonder what all that was." he said. Skipper shook his head, and Rico, grinned. "Who knows, Private, who

knows."


	5. Chapter 5

Marlene frowned, and roughly pulled away from Kowalski when they got outside. She opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted.

"_What_ are you doing?" Kowalski demanded. Marlene frowned, confused.

"What are you talking about?" She said. Kowalski waved his flippers frantically at the fishbowl hatch.

"_With Rico! _What are you doing with _him!" _Kowalski exclaimed. Marlene was about to speak but was interrupted yet again.

"I know that red paint was you trying to get to Skipper, why are you using it on Rico? Are you just trying to make Skipper jealous?" He asked, questions flowing quickly. Marlene snorted.

"No, I'm not. I'm done with Skipper, he can't take a hint." She said. Kowalski growled in frustration.

"So you moved on to Rico? You can't just start flirting with someone, what if someone else likes them? You'll be crushing their hopes. I was here first!" Kowalski snapped his beak shut, realizing that in his uncharacteristic fit of jealously, he had just let his secret slip. Marlene's eyes widened, and she pointed at him.

"_You_ like Rico?" She asked, quite clearly surprised. Kowalski sighed.

"Yes." He snapped his gaze back at her. "And you can't just move in on him like that!" Marlene frowned, and crossed her arms. Normally she would be sympathetic, but she was not about to be shot down again, especially by someone she wasn't even trying to go out with this time, and she most certainly wasn't taking orders from Kowalski when he was being so rude.

"Look, if you didn't make a move, that's your fault." She said, crossing her arms. Kowalski was taken back.

"Wha- well- Well I don't care, you can't have him!" Marlene frowned.

"What, you're going to stop me?" Kowalski pointed a flipper at her.

"You know, I can!" Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Sure, then you can get into some major trouble for attacking an innocence _civilian_." She said. Kowalski was about to protest, but stopped, realizing this was true. He frowned in frustration.

"Erk, this just isn't fair! I'll beat you another way!" Marlene raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How's that?" Kowalski frowned, trying to think. The two started when Julien's music suddenly sounded, blaring through the zoo. Kowalski growled.

"Oh, that cursed, annoying, dancing-" Then it struck him, and he whipped around to face Marlene. "A dance off!" Marlene looked at him like he was an idiot.

"A dance off? Really" Kowalski grinned.

"As a penguin my anatomy makes me naturally in tune with music." He crossed his flippers. "Dancing is like second nature."

"A dance off is _so_ unlike you, you won't go through with it!" Marlene said. Kowalski smirked.

"Scared are we?" He mused. Marlene frowned.

"Of course not!" She protested.

"Then tell me it's a deal! Winner of the dance off gets Rico!" Kowalski said, holding out his flipper. Marlene stared a moment, then grasped his flipper in her paw. "Deal. First thing tomorrow."


End file.
